As mentioned yesterday, the confederate group of Republicans held a forum last night for people they find acceptable to serve as the next SDGOP chair. I didn’t watch myself, as my wife made soup, and a bowl of homemade soup was far more important – and substantive – than a three-hour complete clown show. But for those who subjected themselves to this act of electronic self-flagellation, here’s what we found out.
Starting off, imagine you asked a group of 70+ year olds to join a Zoom meeting. That was exactly what you got. One correspondent offered “So bad. Unorganized and people didn’t know how to run zoom mic or camera. I jumped ship once I realized how nutso it was being run.”
I believe it was 45 minutes – maybe an hour later before they got into the speeches of those who want to take over the party. Three candidates each given 45 minutes. What can go wrong?
From “Attempted Conversion” Lee Qualm, what did we find out?
Qualm declared – “I support no exceptions for rape and incest.” ….because the SDGOP chair has anything to do with abortion policy…? Well, this is the same ex-majority leader who was part of the House leadership team that the Governor had to take to the woodshed because they declared a dress code that women could not be sleeveless, had to wear nylons, and no skirts above the knees. So I’m not sure that we would expect anything else in a speech from Qualm running for chairman of the party.
And it got better. State Senator Erin Tobin made a couple of statements which triggered Qualm family members to attack her. She encouraged meeting participants to do better, and to lead with morals and values..
Of course, they booted her out of the meeting..
About the only other thing we found out is that he would have Marli Wiese as his vice chair. Bylaws require the vice-chair to be of the opposite gender of the chair, so there’s that. We will see if the nylons and no-sleeve rules still apply.
Ezra Hays was the next candidate to speak. And interestingly, no one really had anything noteworthy or memorable to remark. About the only report I got back was that he said “one of the most valuable things that I did during the amendment H campaign was going outside of the party (for fundraising).”
Given that his fundraising numbers were less than impressive that would not bode well. At all.
Hand County Commissioner Jim Eschenbaum tried to use the word unity, but said the divide in the party can not be fixed because “we have politicians and people who are establishment players and they want to play politics” among other random words and noises that exited his voice box.
Eschenbaum spent more time attacking Sen. Thune, Governor Noem, a majority of the legislature and others, as well as declaring that the party should be involved in primary elections because that’s our wrestling match.
We did also find out some of the standards being applied by some County Republicans participating in the meeting during his talk:
Which gives you a pretty good snapshot of what the incoming chair will be dealing with.
The three-hour zoom meeting might seem like comedy, but it’s equally tragedy that any of these three options are all that’s interested in leading the state’s largest political party right now.
I and many other people active in the Republican Party hold out hope that a leader may yet emerge who is up to the challenge and willing to take on the task.
Because so far, none of the people campaigning are it.
Lord Help Us! Our state further sinks into a cesspool of political extremism. What next bring back the Inquisition? Let the purification begin! Now where is the rack and Iron Maiden we had shipped here and rented from a museum? The thumb screw?
Witness the chaotic spectacle unfolding right now in Lawrence County… where mindless buffoons and lunatics are trying to hijack our local GOP. It’s a revolting charade I foresaw, publicly blasted, and condemned a year ago. These morons comprehend nothing but public shame, relentless exposure, and the ruthless truth hammering down on their naked power grab. While I can’t speak for other counties, the clowns attempting a coup here lack any stated coherent leadership vision other than their petty dislike for (and untrue gossip about) the incumbent Chair. To make matters worse, these rebellious, no-show SOBs rarely, if ever, lift a finger to help out or volunteer at local party events. The icing on this absurd cake? They had the audacity to openly support, fund, canvass, and campaign for independents opposing legitimate Republicans on this just past November ballot! How staggeringly tone deaf, stupid, immoral, disloyal, and ignorant can they get? The core mission of the County GOP and its loyal supporters is, quite obviously, to elect REPUBLICANS! It’s laughably simple, folks. These crap-ass lunatics are pigeons masquerading as wanna-be eagles. Don’t be a damn idiot and fall for their whiny and dishonest machinations and perpetrations. A curse on their entire lot! Share if you’re fed up with these idiots!
In Tripp County, they arranged all their votes for “their” coup. People were told ahead of time that they need not run for a spot, because it was already settled. They did forget that when forming a new party the sheriff, auditor, state’s attorney, coroner, and current legislators carry a vote. They were quite dismayed when these vote holders showed up, because they didn’t want to lose any of “the non RINO” seats. One seat was switched, but there was quite a fit of rage from the person who lost that spot. She went on to make up lies and tried to spread them in a text chain, but exposed herself in the process.
When you become so self-inflated that you dismiss the voice, and votes, of others… you are no longer showing American values. You are then obstructing democracy, free will, and freedom of speech – the opposite of American.
Sadly, the party may have to hit rock bottom before good people, real Republicans who want to hear varying opinions in order to have a party that is just and representative of all Republicans, will be supported again or even choose to run. It takes anger, and sometimes a little pain, to motivate candidates and voters. Rock bottom is certainly very near if any of these men lead the State GOP.
If you are a Republican, hold on tight through this embarrassment. And when you start to feel the pain….motivate.
I’m not sure how Sen. Wheeler is going to recover from these Freemason claims. Absolutely devastating.
It’s all about the Illuminati!
Even worse, Sen. Wheeler’s an Episcopalian.
And he drives a Cadillac!
Is Erin Tobin on your congressional board?
It would be fascinating to see if a medical school whether USD or the University of Minnesota would be interested in conducting a research study to see if there is a medical reason for this rise of political extremism in South Dakota.
How many are fully vaccinated? If not what vaccinations are they getting? No vaccinations being 100% anti-vaxxers?
Has there been an outbreak of brain worms or some other neurological parasite or disease?
5G?
Is it random of some commonality?
or*
Excessive Radiation exposure? Chemical? Biological?
They probably killed all their brain worms (and brain cells) with ivermectin
It’s probably those particle waves from the Sanford Underground.
It’s a story as old as time. They think God is on their side, they are more pious, their actions sanctified no matter what they do. Anyone opposed to them is ineri
Nothing more than modern day Pharisees, Puritans, Inquisitors, or a North American Taliban.
Fred Deutsch refers to the Democratic Party as the Satanic Party and Democrats are Demons. I know of a number of Catholic Priests and nuns that would strongly disagree with Fred.
Ah but you see, those Priests and Nuns are nothing more than liberal corruption and interlopers! Just like the Pope!
Seriously, these religious zealots are blinded by their zeal and will not heed anyone who tries to reason counter to their dogma.
It’s stupid arrogant people who weren’t cool in high school and had no friends. Now they’re all now banding together on the internet and telling each other they’re cool. It’s a cult and they all have never had so many friends, or admirers. If the internet was no more this would all be dead
Plausible
Eschenbaum is a buffoon. He said that he spends his time mowing his yard and spraying weeds so he has plenty of time to destroy the party as chair. Lord help us.
As tolerant as the tolerant left.
Lee Qualm says “As state Chair I am going to work to bring the party together to make sure that we can hear each other’s concerns and find a way to disagree 20% of the time but still be friends.”
John Qualm (says hold my beer) to others on call “You are just a Democrat!!”
You can’t make this $h&$ up. bahahaha
Facts are facts, you should look at the whole thing in context instead of taking excerpts. Look at tobins full history…..
rush limbaugh used to read off his list of essential truths on his radio show. a prime truth was “Politics is Show Business for Ugly People.”
it is the only one of his truths to stand the test of time.
I think it’s time we all joined the Masons
The party chair should be someone that favors Thune, Rounds, Johnson and Noem—just like the Republicans of our state.
This group will be the reason independents gain more registrations and ultimately turn more of South Dakota blue. South Dakota will change but it won’t be the way this group wants it to.
Radical, intolerant and ignorant. They are an embarrassment.
Can we vote again on Amendment H?
Wanna hear something really crazy? You guys put a moron in the presidency. Mike rounds introduced a bill to get rid of the education department. Republicans make a laughingstock of SD. Try to tell me any of you are reasonable. You reap what you sow.
Rich, the Republicans didn’t elect Demented Joe, the Democrats did. Along with his equally stupid sidekick.
The first time I ever heard of Kamala Harris was during the Kavanagh confirmation hearing when she revealed she had never heard of the selective service act (couldn’t think of any law that tells men what to do with their bodies) & she actually believed all the vocal-fry bullshit from that lunatic Christine Blasey Ford who claimed her entire life, her education, career etc, were RUINED by Judge Kavanaugh which is how she went on to college at UNC, has an MS from Stanfotd, a Phd from USC, she’s been married to the same guy since 2002, has two kids, a good job as a college professor, but she was so traumatized by meeting Bret Kavanaugh at a high school party she has been paralyzed with fear ever since, AND she is afraid of flying but she flew to Washington to testify. And she’s done a lot of flying even though Kavanaugh made her terrified of flying. Her entire life has been a train wreck because of Bret Kavanaugh, not that she could remember the details.
All you had to do was watch that to figure out anybody who believed that woman has to have shit for brains, and Harris believed every word of it, every word. Harris has shit for brains. Period.